Duchy of Lorencia
Novus rex, nova lex. The Duchy of Lorencia was never a truly revered state, despite their best efforts. Being one of the two "Mountain Guardian" duchies, the Lorencians have a reputation of being a sturdy and extremely warlike people, thus it is no wonder that they were one of the first to answer the horn that summoned for the Crescentada - a holy war, - against the northern Pazzi tribes. This, however, cost them dearly - the Lorencians marched forth unprepared for and unsuspecting of the storm about to come. After being left with a crippled economy, a grand loss of men, a slain duke, and a disgruntled new population of Bastulians under its control, Lorencia was in a truly unfavourable situation. The next in line of succession to the throne, Livia di Constillio, had no idea how difficult the restoration process would be. But the young, energetic and innovative duchess was quick not only to grasp the concept of running a state - she rebuilt Lorencia from the ground. A prosperous economy, reliant on the flow of wood coming from Kyrteca, a strengthened, highly empowered and loyal military force that acted as an extension of the duchess' will, and a unified court of nobles - all this over the course of a few meekly years. Not all went as planned, however. One morning, news spread among the courtiers of the Constillian manors that the duchess has been assassinated over the night - however, it is unknown by whom. Fingers were quick to lay blame on various sides, and the unity of the Lorencian nobles began to falter. On the day of the assassination, three contenders spurred their horses in a race for the open throne of the duchy - Livia's cousin Bruno V, her uncle Vittore the Old, and the patriarch of one of the most influential noble families of Lorencia - Ricardo d'Abrasia. All three marched upon Virileada, only to be... late. The head marshal of the Lorencian armies, Maximillian Kyrtecanus (or Maximillian the Kyrtecan), a military leader well known for his input in the Crescentada during his early military career in his youth, had already taken the throne, dispersed the old advisors of Livia, and declared that the Duchy of Lorencian now falls under the protection of the Lorencian military, with Maximillian declaring himself Lord Protector of the Realm, at least until the true heir is decided. Although his current rule is de facto ''illegitimate in the eyes of the dualist Astrians, due to a military coup breaking the divine right of rule ideology of Dualism, there is one particular catch - Dualism is no longer the state religion of the Lorencians. Instead, under Maximillian, their new faith is called Lunarism - a branch of the Moon beliefs quite popular among the Dualist Bastuli folk, having formed as a mix of Dualist faith, new Crimsonare values, and the old Bastulian tradition. Tension is high among the court of nobles of Lorencia. While Maximillian holds the throne with a tight grip and rules with a topaz fist, the contenders to the throne are getting unrestful and preparing for a possible war for the rule of the duchy. Though, outright bloodshed may not be necessary - while Maximillian exerts strong military force in the process of ruling Lorencia, he does not seem keen on usurping power (at least for now). After all, he declared himself "Lord Protector" - a heir has to be decided upon by a council of nobles from the old duke's (or, in this case, duchess') court. The Council of Rossacitta is underway, where nobles feast and discuss who would be the most suitable successor to Livia's rule. But a dark cloud looms over their heads. Giving up Dualism in exchange for a new religion, according to the Church, is heresy. Lunarism itself has also been considered a light heresy by the Church. The Tėvas has not yet excommunicated Lorencia and Maximillian, but the Twinquisition lurks by Lorencia's borders, ever wary of what will this new religious doctrine bring. Moreover, Maximillian has already mentioned that there is a possibility that Livia's assassin was sent by the Church, to prevent the exact same declaration of Lunarism as a state religion to be carried out in the mountain duchy. With the threats of exclusion from the Dualist world, a possible civil war and Maximillian's mystical motives, Lorencia stands at a historical crossroads again: one wrong move, and everything will collapse. But the state has already been reborn from ash once, and the fires are still blazing high - who's to say that will never happen again?.. Old Lore WiP Some men just want to watch the world burn. Some men set fire out of ire. Others, however, drown the world in flames for tactical reasons. Such are the Lorencians, whom this strategy has served well in their wars in Kyrteca. Putting aside their differences with the Regmontians, the people of the Bull marched north side by side with the warriors of the banner of the Ram, with a great sense of comradeship. After witnessing the success of the Regmontians in the war, the Lorencians expected a victory just as swift as that of their brothers-in-arms. But they were sorely mistaken. Facing the Bastulians as their main adversary in the war, the Lorencians suffered heavily from lacking knowledge of the woodlands, and it didn't help much that their main military strength are cannons, which are difficult to use in enclosed areas. While in Astros it is easier to wage war to your foe in winter when the war grounds are forested, it is the same as summer in Kyrteca - after all, pines are an evergreen tree. Thus, a harsh solution to root out any resistance was made - the forests of Kyrteca had to be burnt and cut, and the land sprinkled with what dust remains afterwards. Difficult at first, the deforestation proccess became easier with time. The Crescentadors filled their coffers with funds they've gained from selling the cut Kyrtecan wood, and farmers started colonising the burnt forest areas, for the ash-fertilised soil there became fertile. The war had Lorencians witness great losses, however, as many soldiers were lost to Bastulian ambushes, especially early on in the war, and during the last campaign of Duke Bruno the Crescentador, the duchy lost its ruler. Duchess Livia di Constillio, being the last close relative of the old duke, became the new head of state. During the war, patriotism has seeped deep into the minds of Lorencians during the Crescentada, and the idea that Regmont is an enemy, and not a friend, has faded, but just a bit. The tensions between the realms, however, are still high, and are mainly instigated by the older nobles of both of the mountain duchies. For all that, Lorencia's image is now painted more positively than ever before, with the people of the south, especially the Tėvas, praising them for their valour in the name of their faith. And although the war has left a nasty scar on the economy of the state, the newly-opened opportunities for enterprise in Kyrteca shows that not all is lost. The patriotism of the people could also be easily used for patching up the holed ranks of the military, and a quick restoration of the former might of the Lorencians is nigh possible. All it takes is a proper gamble from Duchess Livia, already dubbed "The Crimson Lady" by most. Who knows - as a new age dawns, it might as well dawn in '''fire'. Older Lore WIP If you fail, try again as many times as needed - that surely will lead to success. The Lorencians are, perhaps, one of the lesser admired duchies in Astros. Dubbed "The Guardians of the Mountains", along with Regmont, they hold the barbarians at the gates of the peninsula. During imperial times, they were the heart of civil unrest within the empire's borders - revolts upon revolts would happen, governors after governors would be replaced, but the people seeked independence, so no wonder the Constillio more than happily accompanied the Aurelii in the civil war. During the confederation, the Lorencians seized the opportunity and conquered the old ruling duchy of Regmont. After being incapable of suppressing the Regmontian uprising, the Lorencians were forced to give them freedom. More recently, after a mercenary leader (and now a national hero) named Emilio Giranitto, nicknamed "The Bombardier", introduced gunpowder to Lorencia, artillery became the backbone of their armies. With their fortresses being set in the mountains and armed with bombards, the Lorencians can rest assured of their safety and turn their prying eyes on their neighbours. Over the Kyrtecan Mountains, rich wood deposits lie if the Bastuli are to be convinced to give them in, but resistance will be met.Or, perhaps instead of seeking greener pastures, the Lorencians should turn to their old possessions and attempt to conquer Regmont once more? Only time will tell how fate shall turn for the Lorencians. Category:Factions Category:Astros